


Nothing Like The Stories

by Underunderthunder



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Masturbation, One Shot, Shy Armin Arlert, Smut, Social Anxiety, minor alcohol consumption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 17:43:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13299963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underunderthunder/pseuds/Underunderthunder
Summary: AU: Armin was born into riches, safe from the cruel world others have had to face. A shy orphan living on an inheritance, he fears exploring the world beyond his books until he meets a young cadet at the marketplace.





	Nothing Like The Stories

Armin woke every morning on a mattress free of lumps in a room cluttered with books, quills, and dried plants. The sun would just begin to peek in his window and the birds were not yet singing when he would roll out of bed and towards the washroom. His grandfather had been a wealthy merchant and Armin had been born into luck. He had never known wanting like many others had. 

A few years back his grandfather had installed a fancy water system that produced hot water at the turn of a crank. Armin would stretch before undressing from his flowy nightgown, leaving it hanging off the door. The warm water would wake his mind and allowed him to start his day fresh and alert. He knew this was a privilege and not an entitlement. 

From the bath he went back to his room, a clean towel wrapped around him, and he would apply lotion and oils to his skin. To his late grandfather’s dismay, he would dress while his hair was still damp, oftentimes letting his collar become wet. By then the sun was above the rooftops and he knew he had to get to the market before all the walnut rye bread was taken. 

Grabbing a basket and a small coin purse, Armin started his day with a stroll to the market. On any other day this was uneventful and the only exciting thing to occur would be if the vegetable stall had a new type of tomato for him to try. This day, though, Armin heard the commotion before he saw it. 

The market was saturated with uniformed soldiers. While soldiers were not uncommon, it was strange to see so many of them in one place.

_The best thing to do around someone that is so willing to give up their life is to not give them a reason to take yours…_

Armin kept his head down and eyes averted as his grandfather’s words circled in his head. His grandfather had been so weary of anyone that was willing to face the Titans. _Fools, every last one of them! They carry their suicide notes on their sleeves!_ He wasn’t sure if his grandfather had been right, and while Armin was a logical person, he couldn’t help the fear that had been instilled in him that everyone was off their rockers. So he continued to try to hide in plain sight and pick up what was needed for his dinner. Leeks, freshly butchered chicken, and a pint of cream was already in his basket and all he needed was…

“There is absolutely no way you are going to eat all that bread before it goes stale!”

“I can easily finish this all tonight if I wanted!”

Near the vendor that sold Armin’s beloved walnut rye bread, a group of particularly rowdy soldiers argued. A girl held as many loafs as she could in her arms while a boy with a shaved head told her to put them back. There were others, a girl with a long red scarf, a boy with a determined face, all wearing the training uniform. 

_Not soldiers yet,_ Armin thought. _Still just boys and girls._

He stood a few feet back and watched the group. Armin, while having almost everything he could want, never had connected well with others. His grandfather had been protective of him after his parents passed, hiring tutors instead of sending him to school. He had known very few children his own age, and those he did know did not take kindly to him. Spending his days in books, he knew what friendship was through the adventures of others. When his grandfather passed on nearly a year ago, he relieved the maid and his tutor of their services. He was almost an adult and was able to handle his finances and the house just fine.

For a brief moment he imagined what it would be like to joke with others as the trainees did. Maybe he would make a joke about the girl being unable to handle that many loaves of bread, or maybe he would just laugh next to the brave looking blonde. Would comfort come easy with the girl with the red scarf? Would someone find him interesting? Could he hold a conversation about his thoughts and dreams and fears?

“Are we in your way?”

Armin squeaked in fear and found a taller trainee staring at him. He was off to the side of the group, probably avoiding the elbows being thrown. His eyes were focused and his arms were crossed. Avoiding his gaze, Armin looked down at the ground and shook his head.

The boy shrugged. “I can easily move this fight to another stand.”

Armin shook his head again and found his legs were shaking and his hands were sweaty. This perfect combination resulted in disaster as he dropped his basket, sending the leeks flying out and almost hitting the young man in the face.

“Hey! Careful!” The soon-to-be-soldier hollered as he chased the leeks that just narrowly avoided him.

Cheeks burning and tears of embarrassment welling up in his eyes, his brain shut off. As the boy reached down to grab the leeks, Armin ran in the opposite direction. _How hard is it to hold a basket?_ Armin felt ridiculous for running, but he had to get away. He just knew all eyes were on him when the basket hit the cobblestone. It was the loudest noise he had ever heard and he was certain that the forgotten basket was now just a mix of dirty chicken and broken glass. Not to mention he had almost tossed the leeks at the first person to talk to him about something other than payment for goods in at least a week. 

His home was not far away and his legs pumped harder when he saw it up ahead. _Why couldn’t you just talk to him? Why couldn’t you just say something?_ Armin ran his sleeve across his eyes and almost flew himself into the doorway. Not bothering to look behind him, he slammed the door and collapsed to the ground. 

What other markets were close by? There was no way he could go back to that one. He would be laughed at for the rest of his days. Maybe he would learn how to make walnut rye bread, but he would still need the supplies. He would have to wake up even earlier to get there before the crowds. Maybe he should wear a hood?

Three loud knocks interrupted his thoughts. Armin shot up and wiped the tears from his face. He knew how he must look with his vibrantly red nose and his puffy eyes but he also didn’t want to make the person knocking think he was ignoring them. 

“Wh-who is it?” He stumbled, surprising himself at his own voice.

“I’ve got your leeks!”

_No! It’s the soldier from the market!_

“I-I...um,” Armin spurted, not finding the words he meant to say.

There was silence, Armin wasn’t sure for how long, before he heard the voice from the other side of the door again. “Do you want me to leave them out here?”

“No, um, just...just hold on.”

In his books, this would be when Armin would sigh heavily and know that good things were ahead. Perhaps a second that feels like a lifetime, perhaps a brief but electric touch. This was when Armin had to be brave. Swallowing his fear, he opened the heavy wooden door.

The boy was standing at the doorway, leeks and Armin’s basket in hand. He was surrounded by confidence and smelled of certainty. 

“It seems like everything is alright in here,” The boy said as he took a peek at the contents of the basket. “Looks like you are making some sort of stew?”

Armin’s throat was dry as he reached out for his items. He could see how shaky his hand was, how his fingertips quivered in the air.

“Are you sure you are alright?” The man asked. 

“Yes-yes!” Armin tried to clear his voice, but the words came out cold and blunt. 

_You are making a fool of yourself._ Armin didn’t know what to say to this beautiful boy. He didn’t know what to say to anyone. He had lived his life safe in the Stohess District, but he had secluded himself from chances of companionship. He had to attempt to be strong in order not to appear hopeless.

Yet he dropped the damned basket once again.

“Let me help you,” The boy said, getting down on his knees to pick it up. “I have a feeling you are having an off day.”

“You could say that,” Armin replied, relieved his voice was returning to normal.

“I’m Eren, by the way,” The soon to be soldier replied as he handed the basket back for a second time. “You have a really nice place. What does your family do to afford a home like this?”

Armin was confused why Eren was still standing in his doorway. He had given him the basket, which meant he had no reason to stay.

“It’s just me,” Armin responded. “My parents passed away years ago and my grandfather followed early last year. I live on the inheritance they left behind.”

Eren’s face broke into a look of pity. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Armin held up a hand to stop him. “It is alright. I do fine by myself here.”

“I’m sure you do.”

Eren had skin tanned by the summer sun and bright eyes that sparkled in the light. Armin was stricken down in his own home and there was no one there to save him. 

“Since you live here, maybe you could help me out with something,” Eren reached into his jacket and pulled out a flyer. “The cadets are staying in the Stohess District until tomorrow morning and we noticed this being passed around. Can you tell me more about it?”

Armin scanned the document and realized it was talking about the Spring Festival. It was a small feast that happened this time of year. He had been to it when he was a child with his parents, but his grandfather strictly disallowed that type of festivities so he hadn’t returned.

“The townspeople get together to hope for a productive year,” Armin offered the little experience he had of the festival. “Drinking, eating, merrymaking and the like.”

Eren looked back down at the flyer. “Oh, well that sounds fun. I’ll let the others know. Will I see you there?”

Armin’s tongue seemed to knot itself into a twisted mess. “Oh...ah…”

A distant shouting caused Eren to sharply turn. “Looks like I’m needed...I didn’t catch you name?”

“Armin...my name is Armin.”

“Alright, Armin, I’ll see you tonight.”

Eren gave him a toothy smile before racing towards the shouting. Shyly peeking from out of his door, he found more young cadets at the edge of the cobbled street. The girl with the bread, the boy with the shaved head, and the girl with the red scarf. Did they know he would give all his riches to know Eren as well as they did?

He spent the rest of the morning in a state of panic. He could certainly go to the festival. Who would hold him back? He was his own caretaker, his own tutor, his own servant. 

_Who am I kidding?_ Armin thought to himself as he sat down to read. _Eren has taken pity on me. He has no intentions of seeing me tonight._

“But what if he does?” Armin asked himself before diving back into his reading.

The sun had set and his candle was running low when he put the book away. His windows were open and he could hear the fiddles and the drums down the lane. Dozens of laughing voices crossed near his home on their way into the dark night.

“What if…”Armin mumbled as he looked out into the street. 

_What if I went?_

The littlest speck of courage brought Armin to his feet and out the door. He hadn’t managed to change into a different outfit or check if his hair was tamed. He was running on fumes that were threatening to pull him back at any moment.

Girls in bright green dresses with flowers in their hair skipped past him as he made his way to the large celebration. It was held in an spacious tavern in the middle of town and leaked out into the city circle. Men ran around placing crowns of roses and jasmine while women danced with ribbons on sticks. 

Everyone was laughing and dancing and no one was looking at him. Invisible in a crowd. Safe. He explored deeper beyond the rows of carts selling fried dough and sugar, making his way into the tavern. It was there he found his first of the cadets, the girl with the loaves of bread, dancing in the middle of the crowd. Her feet skipped as she danced from partner to partner with a look of joy plastered on her face. Carefree.

The girl twirled to the right, leaving a space that was quickly filled by Eren, the soldier from earlier. It looked like he had been popular that night as ribbons were tired to his jacket. He hopped along to the music, quickly catching up to steps that didn’t appear he knew before tonight. He had the lightest of dimples that were only caught when he smile his widest. 

“Beautiful,” He sighed.

The song ended and the dancers gave a bow. Armin watched Eren dip his head towards the crowd and when it rose, their eyes met. The soon to be soldier waved his hand while calling his name. He had been caught and the rest of the cadets that had appeared next to Eren were staring at him. Judging him.

_Go!_

Armin turned to run but Eren was fast. Armin did his best not to let out a squeal when Eren forced him around.

“You came!” Eren laughed, his breath smelling like honey ale and sweet rice. “I knew you would! Let me buy you a drink.”

Armin held up his hands. “No, no, that is fine. I was just leaving.”

Eren stuck out his tongue. “I can’t even buy you a drink as a thank you for telling me about this amazing festival?”

One drink couldn’t hurt. 

Eren grabbed Armin’s hand. “Come, tell me what you like and let me introduce you to my friends.”

The next few hours flew by as Eren dragged Armin around the tavern. As much as Armin hated to admit it, he knew very little about this building although it was only a street away from his home. He marveled in the woodwork and paid close attention to the detail in the various portraits when he wasn’t busy meeting another cadet. Connie. Sasha. Jean. Mikasa. Marco. Annie. How would he remember these names? 

“You know so many people,” Armin told Eren as they ran up the stairs to the loft to enjoy their food and drink.

“Now you do as well,” Eren offered as he stole a piece of Armin’s sweet roll without asking, but this did not bother Armin. He found that he was not hungry, but startled at how easy it was to talk to Eren. It was like his thoughts were not ridiculous or his voice was not childish. It was nice.

Then the dancing. Oh, the dancing happened often and without end. They only lasted in the loft for as long as their drink, and then back down to the dance. At one point, Eren had traded a turkey leg for a strings of bells and tied them to Armin’s shoes. 

“So everyone can hear you dance,” Eren said as he pulled Armin into the crowd. 

_Just follow his lead,_ Armin repeated in his head. It took his feet time to warm to the steps, but once he did he was able to even branch away from Eren. He found himself meeting others arm to arm without fear. The music sounded the same to him, over and over and over, and he felt out of breath but he kept dancing. As long as Eren was dancing, he was dancing.

The bells at his heels twinkled and sang as his feet hit the wood floor. It sounded like the song of birds and spring rain. Armin had finally twirled and swung himself around to meet back with Eren, only this time when their hands met Eren had a gift to give him.

“You need to wear this,” Eren happily called out.

A crown of periwinkle and sprigs of greenery was placed on his head. Armin knew he must look and sound ridiculous, but for once he didn’t mind. He had managed to secure some ribbons embroidered with images of berries and bluebirds and tied these around Eren’s wrisit. The boy’s skin felt rough underneath his thumb.

As they began to dance once again, Eren pulled Armin close to him. “Bells and flowers look good on you. Would the boy I met today ever where this to the market?”

The room shook with how rampant the music was becoming. More people than before were flooding in and Armin feared they may be suffocated but was at peace with the possibility of getting even closer to Eren. 

“Would the soldier I met today wear ribbons?”

Eren brought his lips to Armin’s ear, his nose just gently brushing through his hair. “If you put them on me, I would never take them off.”

Armin pulled his head back to look at Eren’s face. The cadet was not drunk and he was not joking. There was sincerity in his face. Armin was not sure how the decision was made, but soon Eren was leading him out of the tavern and taking the directions Armin was giving him towards his house. _We just need a break. The room was getting warm and crowd and loud and we just needed a break._

But when his front door shut, Armin acknowledged that wasn’t why they were there. Eren, the young cadet whose eyes could take over the world if he truly tried, grabbed him by his waistband to bring him in closer. Their breath quickened, Armin could feel it, as Eren brought his lips to his own. 

_Just follow his lead._

When Eren’s lips moved, his lips moved. When Eren’s hands moved, his hands moved, When Eren sighed, he sighed. Like a mirror, except Armin knew the reflection he casted would never give justice to the beauty he was beholding. He knew this was a privilege and not an entitlement. 

There was a moment that Armin knew his game of repeat was coming close to an end as Eren began to walk them backwards until they collided with an immovable force.

A shot of pain ran down his spine when Armin’s head met the brick wall but he didn’t dare complain. Eren’s lips were now on his neck but his hands were still gripping the waistband of his trousers. Armin had gotten his hands on a few explicit novels and had a faint clue what happened next but nowhere in those books did it explain how beautiful it felt experiencing another person’s touch. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands so he left them defenseless, asking for mercy against the cool brick. 

Eren’s lips opened and closed on his neck, each time a wave of warm breath hitting his skin. His lips traced along his jaw and under his chin, but he paid the closest attention to the point under his earlobe that met his neck. It made his thighs squeeze together.

“I don’t know what to do,” Armin moaned.

The trail Eren’s mouth had trailed grew cold when he left it behind to face him. Eren’s eyes were sharp and turned him to stone like a monster from an old tale. Unsure and nervous, Armin placed his hand on Eren’s cheek.

Eren’s chuckle was clear and honest. “Neither do I. Do you have a bed?”

 _We are doing this,_ Armin thought. _We are actually doing this._

“Yes,” He choked. “Do you want to go there?”

Eren grinned and Armin took it as a yes. Taking hold of his hand, he brought Eren up the stairs. It felt like each step creaked. Were they always like this? Was his breathing always this loud? He opened the door to his room and Eren let out a soft exhale. 

“Do you want to lay with me?” 

“Yes.”

Eren’s hands were in Armin’s hair, lightly grabbing as their lips explored each other. As they stood in the middle of his room, packed with stories he never thought he would live, they taught each other how to kiss. Eren would kiss his bottom lip and found if he pulled on it lightly, Armin’s breath hitched. Armin discovered that if he ran his hand down Eren’s back, the taller boy would pull his hair harder. It was about catching a beat, understanding the tune, and keeping up with the band. Kissing was complicated and when Armin thought he grasped it, Eren would change directions. 

But it was fun.

Eren’s hands left Armin’s hair and waltzed down his sides. When he found his waistband again, he made a motion to pull his shirt free. Armin allowed it, bewildered with himself that he wasn’t nervous. In fact, he was enjoying himself. He rose his arms to allow his shirt to be taken off as neither of them wanted to deal with the buttons. Eren gave him access to do the same.

Armin craved for more. This was nothing like his stories. No way could his books describe how sweet it was to touch another person. No way could one describe how someone could forget to breath as they were untying another person’s pants, or how your skin became lightening when they were returning the favor. 

They were bare and exposed. Armin felt like he was waking up for the first time. Every part of this beautiful cadet was intoxicating. Armin touched the soft hair traveling up Eren’s thighs up to his hips and adored the small mountains that formed on his skin. 

“Armin,” Eren said as they rested their foreheads together. “You are so precious.”

Speechless and completely helpless, Armin followed Eren to the bed. They traced each other’s bodies with their hands and lips and Armin felt himself becoming unproper. Eren’s shining eyes invaded his body, and similar to when a spark meets tinder, Eren took hold of him in his hand.

“Touch me like you touch yourself,” Eren commanded. “And I’ll do the same.”

His hips buckled as he gasped at the unfamiliar hand grabbing him in a way only he had done in his most private moments. 

“What if I do it wrong,” Armin asked as his hand hovered over Eren. 

Eren let his hand move up his length. “We will figure it out together.”

Armin took a deep breath and took hold of Eren’s cock and knew that his was something he could recognize. He was to touch him like he touched himself. He matched Eren’s movements at first but found that this rhythm did not make sense to him. So he created his own, slow up, quick down, close attention to the tip. His eyes closed to block out all others stimulus that wasn’t Eren’s hand and cock. He was focused and driven but his mind kept coming back to how rich it felt to have Eren’s hand around him. 

His hips thrust into Eren’s movements and the quicker he advanced, the tighter Eren grasped. It was glorious and the momentum kept building and he knew he was oh so close to finishing this chapter. 

“Is this how you like it?” Eren whispered, his words like thick honey.

“Oh yes,” Armin groaned. “Eren...I might…”

It was all the warning he could give. Eren did not stop as his hips rolled as he peaked. It was an uncontrollable frenzy and Armin panted as Eren worked him through it. His head pounded from the pressure but his own hand kept moving up Eren’s length.

“Armin, keep doing that,” Eren moaned, forcing Armin to open his eyes. 

What a state he was in. Eren’s hand, only moments bringing him to a new sweetness, was grabbing at the bedding as if to hold on for dear life. His legs were splayed open and Armin noticed for the first time that his hips were grinding against the mattress. A delicate pale blush was covering his face as he struggled to keep his eyes on him.

“Can I kiss you?” Armin asked being careful to not hesitate or excel his speed.

Greedily Eren hunted to Armin’s lips and Armin did not mind with Eren’s hand buried itself once again in Armin’s hair. This kiss was not soft and in step like before but free. Their teeth met often as Eren muttered words of encouragement and whispering the promises of release. Armin was surprised that he could feel the constrictions as Eren’s orgasm took over, the warmth of his seed seeping between his fingers. Messy and addicting. 

“Oh...oh…oh,”Eren softly muttered as his mind joined his body in the bed. 

Armin knew he had done well when Eren’s perfect lips broke into a devilish grin. “Excuse the mess.”

Returning the grin, Armin teased, “I’m not worried about it.”

Armin remembered little after this. The candle had died shortly after, leaving the couple twisted among themselves to warm themselves from the dark night.

***

“I need to go.”

Armin woke from what he thought was a dream to the most beautiful boy leaving a kiss on his forehead. The sun was leaking in and his head felt like he had been wounded in the worst way. 

“I need to catch up with the other cadets,” Eren told him.

Armin shot up in bed, the pain from where his head collided with the brick was even worse but he ignored it. “Can’t you stay a while longer.” 

“If I’m not back there will be hell to pay,” Eren assured him. “Oh, this was on the floor.”

The crown of periwinkles was placed in his hands. The petals were lightly curling into themselves and some of the sprigs of greenery were missing. Plucking a stem from the crown, he placed it into Eren’s palm.

“Remember me if you visit the Stohess District again,” Armin told him.

The morning wind entered through the open window as Eren brought him into one last kiss. It still felt new.

“Of course,” Eren promised. “Don’t worry, when I return I will bring you stories of my victories and you can write them down for all to read.”

Armin watched from his bedroom as Eren ran towards the center of town and back to his friends. He hoped he would see that soldier boy again, but until then, he would dip his quill in ink and start to record their tale until they met again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this little fluffly and slightly naughty AU.


End file.
